Breaking: Nike admits that its sub-2 hr attempt won't come on a legitimate course and won't count for a WR

Let me preface by saying I believe this is a marketing ploy and the running world is not ready for a sub 2 marathon.

However, an interesting point to bring up, what is holding us back from sub 2. Nutrition, training, genetics?

Because we already know a human is capable of running 1 mile in 4:34, heck even 13.1 miles in 4:34, but what is stopping the body from continuing that pace for another 13.1 miles.

The limit of the human body not physically capable of the pace is an invalid argument so the limiting factor is what? and Furthermore who as well. ie: The limiting factor for Kipchoge is different than for Desisa, than for Tadese.

Just something to chew on

I think I may have figured out how to bypass the WSJ paywall. Since I'm a subscriber, you may be able to read Germano's article here:

http://www.wsj.com/articles/nike-recruits-top-runners-to-break-2-hour-marathon-barrier-1481596293?emailToken=JRrzdfp8Y3qSgdw2b8w61V4lK7MFAPWUR0/MaWzNIg3WqXrTrPi6grkywtGtrGqsABw/59cZ9Ss6TCfYnGptWoqbkqRlkFq%2BPiAB/siZgFPRax8%3D

Sara Germano of the Wall Street Journal has an article out on Nike's Sub-2 Hr marathon attempt that will take place this spring. She spoke to someone at Nike and they admitted that the attempt will not come on a records-eligible course.

Sara Germano wrote:

The company says that while the run won’t be world record-eligible on a sanctioned course, the attempt will “show the potential to break it and enable future times to fall.”

So there you have it. Nike admits what we've been saying all day. Humans are nowhere near running a sub-2 attempt without assistance.

Here is the article but it's behind a paywall. I think you may be able to read it for free below but if it doesn't work and you want to read it for free go to google news and type in "Germano Nike".

Yes this is about marketing, of course, this is one of the biggest sports brands there is. They want to make a stink and increase people buying some new marathon flats they will flog to the masses for $120.

So let's all remember that Nike isn't planning this event on a whim. They didn't announce the attempt to then set back and say "right, now how the fck are we gonna do this?"

Nike already has the answer. I'll bet they have even tested out their theories. This means whatever their idea is, sub 2 is possible right now. We just have to guess how.

I personally believe that they are going to take measures, be it hydration or tighter pacing or a slightly downhill course etc to make a 2:03/2:04 effort 'ordinary' marathon equivalent to a sub 2 under their conditions. How many maximal marathons can these guys take in one year? Can't cut it too fine.

What I don't get is that people agree that sub 2 will happen eventually but it's impossible now. Why is that. Humans aren't evolving to be better at running but most agree it's not impossible at some later date

I think this is an interesting experiment, a little marketing sure, but let's see how far they get. I wonder if Nike will come up with a tuned track that will give the athletes optimum rebound. That might allow the athletes to wear minimal shoes and still not get too beat up. Distal weight and all that. Maybe a two mile course made of track-like material with great weather and you can get to sub two.

PLUS ONE

I look at this attempt as something quite unique. As I look over this message board I see a lot of people critiquing the way that Nike is handling the attempt.

Rojo compared this "ineligible" attempt to EPO. The fact is Nike will not be sponsoring these athletes to dope, they are simply seeing how fast these gentleman can go in certain conditions. Why don't we all just sit back and enjoy the show and admire how fast these guys can and will run.

a drop of 8% in marathon finishers in 2015! but at 509,000, they are not exactly scarce. I predict another drop for 2016. 2015 was also very slow. Hard to believe the average male time was 3:32 back in 1980 and has hovered near 4:20 for a long time now.

http://www.runningusa.org/marathon-report-2016

Jimmy21 wrote:

What I don't get is that people agree that sub 2 will happen eventually but it's impossible now. Why is that. Humans aren't evolving to be better at running but most agree it's not impossible at some later date

If they are not evolving and yet it's not impossible in the future why not soon?

We could breed humans to break two just like we bred racehorses to be light years faster and more enduring than run of the mill riding horses.

WhatDoWeNeed wrote:

Let me preface by saying I believe this is a marketing ploy and the running world is not ready for a sub 2 marathon.

However, an interesting point to bring up, what is holding us back from sub 2. Nutrition, training, genetics?

Because we already know a human is capable of running 1 mile in 4:34, heck even 13.1 miles in 4:34, but what is stopping the body from continuing that pace for another 13.1 miles.

The limit of the human body not physically capable of the pace is an invalid argument so the limiting factor is what? and Furthermore who as well. ie: The limiting factor for Kipchoge is different than for Desisa, than for Tadese.

Just something to chew on

We need the "perfect" road course. Nike should build a U-shaped course on private property that is record eligible:

"The start and finish points on the course, measured along a straight line between them, shall not be further apart than 50% of the race distance."

"The decrease in elevation between start and finish shall not exceed an average of 1m per km."

The course will be carefully surveyed to have a decrease in elevation of 1 meter per km, OR perhaps dead flat for 35 km THEN a decrease of 42 metres over the next 7.2 km? No numerous turns like Berlin.

Stage the attempt on a day with perfect weather (calm, sunny, cold). This could be any day in a 5-day window.

Start time in the late afternoon.

If 2 hours isn't broken, the current WR will be. Nike can then charge big $ for hobby joggers to run this course. "Run on the 2:00:XX marathon course!"

Yep. According to these guys, it looks like another down year for the marathon - YTD - 540K compared to 553K finishers last year (US & Canada). Doubt another 13K will run before the end of the year.Interesting that 60% of marathons had a drop in the # of finishers compared to the year before.http://findmymarathon.com/statistics.php

jjjjjj wrote:

a drop of 8% in marathon finishers in 2015! but at 509,000, they are not exactly scarce. I predict another drop for 2016. 2015 was also very slow. Hard to believe the average male time was 3:32 back in 1980 and has hovered near 4:20 for a long time now.

http://www.runningusa.org/marathon-report-2016

lost some respect for kipchoge, what a sellout

does anyone seriously care about that race? thats the worst idea ever

sternburger wrote:

lost some respect for kipchoge, what a sellout

does anyone seriously care about that race? thats the worst idea ever

Exactly.

How are we going to STOP this stupid Nike idea debacle?

What do you think about a mass protest at NOP and Nike headquarters?

I know that Laz and fake Laz will come to it.

At first I was like "cool." Then I remembered https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=915fUkWzRWw

particle collider wrote:

Jimmy21 wrote:

What I don't get is that people agree that sub 2 will happen eventually but it's impossible now. Why is that. Humans aren't evolving to be better at running but most agree it's not impossible at some later date

If they are not evolving and yet it's not impossible in the future why not soon?

We could breed humans to break two just like we bred racehorses to be light years faster and more enduring than run of the mill riding horses.

That is an interesting idea you have there. I have already thought about this idea and have already implemented a plan:

1) Tirunesh Dibaba (14:11.15 World Record 5K PR, 29:42.56 10K PR) and Sileshi Sihine (12:47.04 5K PR, 26:39.69 10K PR) had a child born in March, 2015 named Nathan Sileshi.

2) Nathan has inherited his mitochondrial DNA from Tirunesh Dibaba... which will give Nathan some of the best electron transport chain (located on the inner mitochondrial membrane) oxidative phosphorylation on planet Earth.

3) We will start out with a Phase 1 Lydiard based high volume aerobic base development at high altitude in Ethiopia and Flagstaff, Az. for the first 15 years.

4) Nathan will then start his Specific Phase 2 SUB-2:00:00 Marathon High Intensity/High Volume/High Altitude Training Planâ„¢ (with Renato Canova) in Flagstaff, Arizona.

5) We will all then wait around a long time for Nathan to run a sub-2:00:00 marathon.

If Nike had shoes/materials that reliably and repeatably gave a 1-2% performance improvement for distance runners then I'm confident they would not have kept them under wraps so completely for so long.

Would therefore wager a pretty penny that there are no revolutionary shoes from Nike. New and interesting shoes, sure, but not shoes that make you 1-2% faster at the same effort.

Per the Spira wiki, they are not actually banned - it was a publicity stunt. There's no legit evidence that they give any reliable/repeatable performance benefit, let alone the kind of boost that they were claiming.

Jus do it in a car. Complete waist of time

wrong, wrong, wrong, nikey mouse.

peak bekele could have run near or under 26 flat 10k. and near 12 flat for 3 miles. kapish? ask him.

that peak bekele with marathon preparation, with a block of pacers to 30k, on a perfect day can go 201 x, which is 400m or so off 2 hours. with some kind of special nutrition 2 hours is doable. 2 hours is doable.

but without all the stars in allignment, you're looking at 202 mid in the next couple of years by a past prime bekele or some one else..

this pretty echos the sentiments of cannova in so many words.